Is traveling by train for me?
This has been a burning question in my mind for a long time. I’d never really been on a train before and I wondered about the experience. In the movies, trains always seemed so romantic in an old-fashioned sort of way. And murderous. Lots of murders happening on or around trains in movies.
Recently, when I needed to take a trip from Memphis to Chicago, I chose to travel by train. Departure for the ten-and-a-half hour ride was around 10:40 p.m. at night so I knew I would need a sleeper car. But which one to get — the small one or the not as small one? To save a few bucks, I settled on the small one.
I was going to be gone for a month, so my very large suitcase was packed to the gills. I don’t know if this is always the case or not, but there was no porter to assist me with my bag. I had to drag my heavy suitcase into the train and onto the luggage shelf. Thankfully, another passenger saw me struggling and offered to help.
Once on the train, I climbed a narrow staircase up to where the sleeper cars were. I wandered down the one-person hallway until I found my small sleeper cabin. It was so small that I had to take a picture of it while standing outside of it and I was still too close to get the proper perspective.
I decided to settle into my cozy accommodations for the night and get some sleep. I tried to shut the sliding door but it was off its track. I enlisted the help of the train staff and after wrestling with it for a few minutes they opted to move me to an upgraded cabin. Both the bed and room were bigger than my previous room and there was a bathroom. SCORE!
I was thankful for the bathroom but honestly it felt claustrophobic. My shoulders brushed against the walls on both sides at the same time. I could wriggle around and do #1 but if I had to do #2, I don’t know how I would have managed. When I looked up I noticed a shower head and it made me chuckle. How on earth does one take a shower in a standup coffin?
The bathroom may have been super tiny but at least I could get a good night’s sleep, right?
Wrong.
I understand that trains blowing their horns saves many lives and keeps everyone, including me, safe. And I’m good with that. But frequent horn blowing (think many times an hour) is horrible for sleeping. Bring earplugs if getting good sleep is a priority for you. Otherwise, be prepared to be woken up often.
All of this has me thinking that traveling by train may not be for me. I think I would enjoy it for relatively short daytime trips but I could see myself going stir-crazy being in such a confined space for days on end. Not to mention the stomach ache I’d get from not being able to poop.
Just because trains may not be my cup of tea doesn’t mean they can’t be your jam though. If you enjoy road trips but find it difficult to take in the landscape while driving, train travel might be the answer for you. Many trains have observation decks with expansive windows making it the perfect place to see the sights and gaze at the fruited plains. Trains are also an easy and economical way to travel.
Don’t make any final decisions based on my limited experience. Try train travel for yourself and form your own opinions. It might end up being your favorite way to travel.